UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 1st Leg Part 2 Odds, Predictions

Half of the first legs are in the books with last week’s action and there was no shortage of drama. From Bayern Munich leaving Paris with a 1-0 lead (and a controversial non-goal from PSG’s Mbappé), to breathtaking stuff in Germany when Dortmund barely handled Chelsea 1-0.

This week sees the other half of the Round of 16 take to the pitch to play their first contests. The schedule makers know what they’re doing. Much like last week, fans have a mixture of high-profile contests and some matchups that may not garner as much attention but should prove worth a gander.

Don’t forget to check our Champions League odds.

With the preamble out of the way, let’s dive into Part 2 of the Round of 16’s first leg.

Feb. 21: Liverpool vs Real Madrid

There is no point beating around the bush. Let’s just get to the meat and potatoes of this week’s action. Despite the statistical discrepancies between these sides, at least as far as how they’re performing in their respective leagues, everybody wants to watch this one. Not only are these two of the most historically cherished franchises left in the tournament, but they were the last rats standing in the final last May.

Since then, one team has pursued greatness while the other has fallen back a few paces. Carlos Ancelotti’s Madrid side has a stellar win-loss-draw tally in La Liga, although it’s not good enough for first place yet (Barcelona holds that coveted spot). They handled Ossasuna with relative ease over the weekend, with Federico Valverde and Marco Asensio scoring goals worthy of the club’s quality. As for Liverpool, their recent away wins at Merseyside side rivals Everton and then to Newcastle were a breath of fresh in a Premier League season that can be described as hugely disappointing: eighth place, a full seven points out of the top four.

Prediction: Liverpool 1-1 Real Madrid

Feb. 21: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Napoli

Although not possessing nearly the star quality as the match that will be played at the same time in England, Frankfurt and Napoli carry the potential to produce some terrific sparks, especially the visiting Italians.

Anyone who has glanced at the Serie A table regularly this season has surely noticed that Luciaion Spalletti’s club has spent most of the time in first. The fanbase hopes it won’t be another tease that ends in disappointment. With a 15-point cushion and an astonishing +41 goal differential, it’s difficult seeing how they could slip up. Victor Osihmen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and company have torn the opposition apart. In contrast, one gets the sense that Frankfurt may have reached its Champions League ceiling. Having them here has rewarded them with much-deserved time under the spotlight. They currently sit sixth in the Bundesliga, only two points out of fourth, with a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen this past weekend helping their cause to return to European football next season.

Prediction: Frankfurt 0-1 Napoli

 Feb 22: RB Leipzig vs Manchester City

Leipzig, much like Frankfurt, feels like one of those clubs that some will argue should “just be happy to be here.” A back-handed compliment if there ever was one. True, they aren’t exactly giants (fifth in the domestic league, albeit only five points out of first), and it’s fair to point out they finished second in Group D with a -1 goal differential. Still, beware of French international Christopher Nkunku.

Manchester City, whom we’ve written about a lot in recent weeks, is a frustrating mystery this year. When we last talked about them it was to preview their titanic, domestic mid-week match against Arsenal. They conquered the Gunners 3-1 with relative ease, stealing first place in the process. Then, Pep Guardiola’s side played an inexplicable 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest while Arsenal defeated Aston Villa, thus relegating City back to second. Which version of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and company will show up in Germany? The version that can probably swat them with ease, or the one that will play underwhelming football?

Prediction: Leipzig 1-2 Manchester City

Feb 22: Inter Milan vs Porto

The second Italian club playing this week and third overall (AC Milan tussles with Tottenham) is Inter Milan. The San Siro will play host to Champions League football for the second week in row when Portuguese giants Porto come to town.

Although the Nerazzuri are starting to clue in that their side’s chances of earning a scudetto at home are shrinking by the week, Inter is still a quality side that can make a deep run in Europe. All competitions combined, Internazionale hasn’t lost in five games, including a satisfying 1-0 victory in the Milan derby. Over the weekend, Romelu Lukaku, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Lautaro Martinez all scored in a 3-1 win over Udinese. FC Porto is also no stranger to success, and they’re very close to tasting it again at home. They trail Benfica by two paltry points in the league. When considering both the domestic league and cup, Porto has strung together eight consecutive wins. Mehdi Taremi is having a wonderful year, having scored 11 times in 21 games.

Prediction: Inter Milan 1-0 Porto